Small Pet Turtles Still Carry Salmonella Poisoning Risk For Children, Despite Ban: Study

A new study warns that children face a continuing threat of salmonella poisoning from pet turtles, despite efforts to ban the most likely carriers of the bacteria. 

In findings published online last week by the medical journal Pediatrics, researchers outlined epidemiological environmental traceback investigations that identified at least eight Salmonella outbreaks in recent years linked to pet turtles across 41 states, Washington D.C., and Puerto Rico.

U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention investigators say that since 2006, the number of turtle-related Salmonella outbreaks has increased, despite a 1975 federal ban on the sales of pet turtles with shells less than four inches long. This move was specifically made because many young children were being sickened from contact with the pet turtles.

Health officials noted a reduction in the number of turtle Salmonella infections after the 1975 ban, but the number of illnesses have begun to climb again in recent years.

A total of eight outbreaks were found with illness onsets beginning May 2011 to September 2013. Nearly 500 people were reportedly sickened during the pet turtle salmonella outbreaks, but researchers believe the number of those actually affected could be as high as 7,500. They estimate that for every one report of Salmonella, another 16 people are sickened and do not report the illness.

Nearly 30% of the patients affected in the outbreaks needed to be hospitalized, 70% of patients reported having contact with a turtle. Among those patients, 88% said the contact was with a small pet sized turtle under four inches.

Nearly half of the patients were Hispanic, and researchers are unclear why this population was so disproportionately affected. The average age of the patient was four years old, with many patients being under five years old.

According to a study published in early 2015, one in four children under the age of five will be infected with Salmonella from contact with a pet reptile or turtle. Younger children are more likely to be infected by turtle-related Salmonella, compared to other strains of Salmonella infections.

Children At High Risk

When surveyed, only 15% of patients or caregivers were aware turtles carried Salmonella. When patients and caregivers were surveyed during the 2008 outbreak, about 27% knew turtles carried Salmonella.

Many patients did not have direct contact with the turtle, just the surfaces the turtle touches; including tanks, countertops, and sinks where the tank was cleaned. Victims don’t have to actually hold a turtle or touch the aquarium or water to become sick, cross-contamination is common, researchers warn.

Despite the ban on sales of turtles, turtles are still available for education, display, and research purposes. They are also often sold illegally as pets in many states.

Researchers warn that turtles should be kept away from any areas where children are, and people who handle turtles or their habitats should wash hands immediately afterward.

Children who are sickened by turtle-related Salmonella often require hospitalization and treatment with antibiotics. Salmonella symptoms include fever, diarrhea, and abdominal cramps; turtle-related salmonella is often much more severe than other types of Salmonella.